


Blood in the Basement

by Ren_Dreamt_The_Cosmos



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood and Gore, Dark, Except it'll probably be obvious to readers who it was LOL, Gen, Ghosts, Haunting, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Murder, Murder Mystery, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Violence, Warnings May Change, everyone but Skeppy is a ghost so understand that there's a LOT of death here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-28 03:01:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30132993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_Dreamt_The_Cosmos/pseuds/Ren_Dreamt_The_Cosmos
Summary: Skeppy impulsively bought an abandoned building that had once served as an orphanage, with the hopes of spending a few years away from everyone in his life as he fixed it up. But it seems that the building came with many secrets, some of which happen to be a whole group of ghosts waiting for their murders to be solved - and it seems Skeppy is the one that will do that for them. Follow his story as he works to uncover the dark past of the Duskridge Institute and gets to know the ghosts of those that had once lived there, and just how they met their end.Individual chapter warnings will be in the notes!
Relationships: Kristin Rosales Watson/Phil Watson, Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	1. A Possible Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> If any cc has stated that they don't wish to be included in fics like this, just drop me a comment letting me know and I will remove them as soon as I see it!
> 
> For the chapters that cover how each ghost died, I will provide a warning in the beginning note and a summary of the chapter in the endnote for those who don't want to read that content but also don't want to miss out on the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, there's nothing bad, just Skeppy entering the Institute for the first time :)

Skeppy let out a jaw-cracking yawn as he pulled into the parking spot, shifting into park and setting his parking brake before he pulled out his keys, reaching into the middle compartment between his seat and the passengers to grab his wallet.

As he walked down the sidewalk to the entrance of the small convenience store, Skeppy looked around, taking in the small town that was his last stop before he reached his destination. It was very obviously the type of town where everyone knew each other, with one big main road with a single gas station and convenience store, a small diner, a few other restaurants, and some small shops. With the town being so far off the highway, Skeppy wasn't too surprised by how desolate it seemed, with his car being the only one in the parking lot and nobody in sight.

As Skeppy pushed the door open - after trying to pull it open at first and failing - to enter the store, a little bell jingled over his head and the cashier, a young-looking woman with the nametag 'Hannah', called out a greeting as she stocked the display rack beside her register with an assortment of gum and candy.

"Hello! Let us know if you need anything."

"I will, thanks!" Skeppy grinned, before walking towards the back wall, where the drinks were.

"Oh, you're not from around here!" Skeppy looked to his side to see a young man, his nametag reading 'Charlie', who looked like he had been stocking a shelf of chips, but was now busy looking at Skeppy with curiosity filling his gaze.

"Ooh, a visitor! We don't get many of those, being so far out of the way." Hannah leaned onto the counter, twirling a pack of gum between her fingers. "What're ya doin' here?"

Skeppy chuckled awkwardly as he opened the glass door of the drink fridges, the glass fogging up immediately as he reached for a bottle of Coke. "Well, I'm moving actually."

"Oh really?" Charlie grinned, "That's great! Where are you moving in?"

"Well," Skeppy brushed a hand through his hair, the stubborn black locks popping right back up as he put his free hand back in his hoodie's pocket, "I bought the Duskridge Institute, actually. I wanted to get away from the city and spending a few years renovating it and being out away from everyone sounded great to me."

Skeppy shut the door of the drink fridge and turned to walk back to the counter, just in time to see Hannah and Charlie share a look, their eyebrows raised high.

"The _Deathridge_ Institute?" Charlie snorted, shaking his head, "Man, you must be nuts or have a death wish. I can't imagine anyone willingly moving into that place."

"What's wrong with it?" Skeppy nervously shifted, eyes looking from Hannah to Charlie, "I was told it was just a little run down? Is it in horrible shape or something?"

"Oh..." Hannah blinked, "you don't know?"

"Yikes..." Charlie blew air out through his teeth, a grimace on his face, "That's rough, dude."

"What's up with it?" Skeppy wandered up to the register, placing his Coke on the check-out area and grabbing two packets of Skittles from the display case that Hannah had just finished stocking, placing them beside the soda bottle and reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet.

"Well, _officially,_ there's nothing wrong with it," Charlie said as he went behind the counter, passing Hannah as she brought up Skeppy's purchases on the register. "But something weird happened like, uh, six or seventh months ago? Right, Hannah?"

"Yeah, it is - it _was_ \- an orphanage, as I'm sure you were told, but about six and a half months ago everyone disappeared. The mayor apparently got a letter from the director saying that all the kids had gotten adopted and that they had decided to close and move, but nobody believes the story." Hannah shrugged. “Nobody has heard from anyone that lived there since. They just up and disappeared.”

"Is anyone still up there? Was there an investigation?" Skeppy shivered, feeling some twinges of regret about his impulse decision to buy this old place, which seemed to have a deeper history than he had been told.

"No, the mayor told the police that there was no need to investigate. I don't know if he believes the letter, but he probably doesn't want to deal with it if anything actually did happen." Charlie shrugged, sharing a glance with Hannah. "People have tried to go up there, a lot of teenagers were excited about a free place to hold parties and smoke, you know how it is, but I don't know of any that actually made it. They come back saying they got turned around, their truck broke down, they saw things in the woods, all sorts of weird things."

"Oh, well that’s fun..." Skeppy ran a hand through his hair. "What have I gotten myself into..."

"No idea!" Hanna chuckled. "I'm sure the rumors are just that though. Probably a bunch of teens getting high and seeing a weirdly shaped log and freaking out, and blaming the Institute as a result so they don’t become the butt of a joke. Also, your total is $8.09, would you like a receipt?"

"Oh, thanks," Skeppy handed over his debit card for Hannah to swipe. "and no, I'm fine without a receipt."

"Well, here ya go!" Hannah smiled cheerily as she handed his card back and quickly dropped his items into a small plastic bag that she then pushed towards him.

"Thanks." Skeppy tucked his card back into his wallet and flipped it close, sliding it back into his pocket before grabbing the bag of his purchases. "Wish me luck I guess, if I don't come back assume I got murdered." Skeppy chuckled, but his heartbeat quickened in a way that told of his worry.

"Don't die!" The pair called after him, Skeppy rolling his eyes and waving goodbye in response as the door swung shut behind him, the little bell jingling above his head.

By now the sun had gotten far along its descent towards the horizon, shadows beginning the stretch far along the ground as night approached.

Skeppy didn't want to have to navigate his way to Duskridge in the complete dark, so he quickly hurried to his car, a truck that he had bought for this trip, - as any other car wouldn't be as convenient for renovating a building - and hopped into the driver’s seat. After putting his key in and starting the engine, - turning on the seat heaters to stave away the cold - he placed his bag into the center console and took a quick glance at the map pulled up on his phone. Turning on his playlist and releasing his parking brake, Skeppy shifted into reverse and began backing out of his parking spot, turning his truck back onto the street.

It was only a few minutes of driving along the small roads until he reached the end of the little town. At the end of the line of quaint houses, he was currently driving along, was a large sign, with an arrow pointing towards a turn-off that disappeared into the trees that blanketed the hill that this Institute was placed on. It had obviously once said "Duskridge Institute, 5.3 Miles.", but someone had come along at some point and crossed out 'Dusk' with red spraypaint, replacing it with "Death" in large letters, the paint having had dripped down the sign before it dried.

It seemed those two cashiers hadn't been kidding.

Skeppy flicked on his turn signal - even though there was nobody out driving other than himself - and turned onto the road leading to the Institute, also flicking on his headlights as he headed up the road to his new home. The trees blanketed the road in darkness, so Skeppy drove slowly, his eyes intently scanning the road ahead of him for anything blocking his path. As Skeppy drove further and further, the road grew rougher and rougher, the number of huge potholes multiplying as his truck bounced along until eventually the asphalt faded out and transitioned to a gravel road, with a ton of weeds and fallen branches littering it.

It was quite obvious that nobody had driven up - or down - this road in a long while.

As Skeppy stopped to let a pair of small rabbits scurry across the road, small droplets of rain began to fall onto his windshield, and barely a moment later it was absolutely pouring, the sheets of rain making it even harder to see. But as he continued, windshield wipers set to the max, Skeppy saw the large shape of a building begin to appear through the trees, its shadowy form dark and unwelcoming. It certainly didn't look like a place that Skeppy wanted to spend the night at, much less multiple, but it was too late to turn back. Skeppy had sold his old apartment when he impulsively decided on this project, and there was no way he could scrape together the funds to manage this old place _and_ another home now. So it seemed like he was stuck with Duskridge.

Skeppy pulled out from the trees and turned into the gravel parking lot that sat in front of the front doors of the building, pulling to a stop a few yards away from the stairs leading to the door, taking a moment to take in his surroundings - and relish in the warmth of his heated truck. It seemed that if the previous workers of the Institute had left, it had been in a hurry, as there were still a few cars parked in the corner of the parking lot. One that caught Skeppy's eye was an obviously once well-loved red truck, its bed covered with a tarp. Weeds had sprouted up through the gravel all around it, and its wheels were flat, probably from the truck not having been driven in months.

This only added to the pile of questions that were forming in Skeppy's mind.

_Just what had happened here?_

Skeppy rested his head back against his seat, running a slightly shaky hand through his hair as he let out an exhale. Did he make a mistake? The purchase of Duskridge certainly was an impulsive spur-of-the-moment one, and it definitely appears that the company selling it didn't tell him all that there was to know about the place.

With a few breaths to collect himself, Skeppy sat up and began to collect his items.

He grabbed his phone, looped the bag containing his skittles and soda around his wrist, and hauled the small suitcase that had been in the foot space of his passenger seat over to himself. The rest of his items were safe from the rain under the truck's tonneau cover, and Skeppy doubted there was anybody up here to steal his items during the night, so he would come back for them in the morning. At this point, all Skeppy wanted was to find the least-dusty bed in this place and pass out.

Eyeing the small awning that protected the porch of the building, Skeppy pulled his hood over his head and prepared to run through the pouring rain.

Turning his key and pulling it from the ignition, Skeppy threw his door open and hopped out, pressing the 'lock' button as he did, pulling out his suitcase before slamming the door shut. He then quickly jogged towards the entrance, swinging his suitcase over the small concrete curb between the parking lot and the walkway leading to the front door.

Skeppy carefully made his way up the steps, being wary as not to slip upon the rain-slick concrete beneath his feet.

Skeppy grabbed the key to the building from his keyring, and approached the large double doors, with the words 'Duskridge Institute' engraved in the brick above them. It took a few tries for his shaking hands - from the cold or nervousness, Skeppy couldn't tell - to slide the key into the keyhole, but once he did he easily turned it to unlock the door, which was surprising for a door that hadn't been used in months. What wasn't surprising was the loud creak it made as it swung on its hinges as he pulled one door open, revealing the dim lobby.

Not giving himself another moment to rethink this decision, Skeppy stepped inside, pulling his suitcase behind him, and let the heavy door slam shut behind him, the bang echoing throughout the building.

The light from the bright moon outside shone through the windows, but it wasn't enough to light up much beyond a few feet around the windows. And there was a switch next to the door, but flicking it proved that the power wasn’t on. Skeppy would have to deal with that in the morning, but for now, he just pulled out his phone and tapped the flashlight icon, the room lighting up as the bright beam turned on.

Turning around in a large circle, holding his phone up to shine the light around, Skeppy took in his new home.

To the right from the front entrance was a pair of french doors, through - if Skeppy remembered correctly from the layout papers he had been given when he was considering buying the place - was the dining room. To the left was another set of french doors that led to the kitchen. In front of him against the far wall were two doors leading to bathrooms. Next to them was a door leading out to the backyard and tool sheds, and next to that was a staircase going up to the mezzanine that overlooked the lobby, and the rest of the second floor, which was where the worker’s bedrooms and the school rooms were. There would be another staircase from up there leading to the third floor, where the dorms were, along with a playroom and library area.

Skeppy felt the urge to explore the old building, and the surrounding grounds, but he knew it would be for the best if he just got settled in and got a good night’s sleep so he would be ready to get to work in the morning.

After locking the doors, Skeppy grabbed his suitcase and rolled it behind him as he walked across the carpeted lobby to the stairs, grabbing the suitcase by the handle and hauling it up the stairs as he stepped up them, one hand still holding his phone as he lit his way, dust floating through the beam as Skeppy disturbed the long-settled dirt and grime as he moved.

The second floor was just as dark as the first, his flashlight beam reflecting off the shiny railings that lined the edge of the mezzanine. Skeppy turned to the hall that led off of the open area and went to try the first bedroom door he saw.

Luckily it wasn’t locked, and it swung open easily.

Stepping inside, Skeppy shined his light around the room, examining the place where he would stay the night.

The bed was a double bed with dark blue sheets and blankets, the blankets still rumpled as if the person that once used them hadn’t expected to not return. In the corner was a guitar case that leaned against the wall beside a small desk, where a book titled ‘Perils of Protection’ lay with a scrap of paper marking a spot, presumably where the owner had reached in their reading.

Settling his suitcase down and closing the door behind him, Skeppy leaned against the wall and slid his shoes off, placing them in front of the door. He pulled his hoodie over his head, and folded it neatly, placing it on the desk beside the book, along with his bag with the skittles and soda.

Skeppy then grabbed a power bank from his suitcase and a cord, setting them on the nightstand beside the bed, plugging his phone in so it could charge overnight until Skeppy could turn the power on. After turning off the flashlight, Skeppy slid beneath the covers of the bed, trying not to think of the fact that he was sleeping in a bed that someone else had used before disappearing - maybe they just left, maybe it wasn’t anything malicious… but Skeppy couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had happened in this place.

But with the rain steadily drumming against the building, and the length of the drive weighing on him, exhaustion was pulling at his eyelids and Skeppy let himself drift off to sleep.

Tomorrow, he would begin to investigate Duskridge Institute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Skeppy bought an abandoned building named the Duskridge Institute that had once been an orphanage. He finds out that six and a half months ago, everyone disappeared. There's no proof that anything bad happened, but people that live in the town nearby don't believe the story that it was just because the owners moved. Skeppy makes it to Duskridge, and falls asleep, exhausted by his trip.
> 
> Next chapter: We'll get to see more of the institute and maybe find out more of who worked at the Institute!


	2. Sounds of the Guitar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I introduce most of the adult characters with their irl name in this chapter, but most of them will be called their screen name/some version of their screen name for the majority of the fic.
> 
> I removed Schlatt from the fic. I just don't feel like I can write his character without thinking of the controversies his real-life self is involved in. Apologies if that is disappointing.

The soft chirping of the birds outside and the warmth of the sunbeams shining through his window greeted Skeppy as he woke, the man propping himself up against the bed's headboard as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

After finding the motivation to get out of his comfortable position in the bed and start his day, Skeppy threw the covers to the side and settled his sock-clad feet on the wooden floorboards, reaching to grab his phone and check the time. 8:39 AM, pretty good.

Opening his suitcase and grabbing a simple pair of camo-patterned joggers and a black long sleeve, Skeppy changed out of the clothes he had worn yesterday, and slipped on his tennis shoes, ready to explore more of Duskridge and begin to get settled in his new home.

Step one: snacks!

Skeppy had a bunch of non-perishable food and some refrigerated stuff in a cooler out in his truck that he could scrounge through for breakfast, but he was really craving some sugar to start his day, so Skeppy went over to the desk, and grabbed the bag that contained the skittles and the drink he had bought yesterday. Setting the soda bottle aside so he could go put it in the cooler when he went out to unpack his truck, Skeppy went to grab one of his skittle packets - but there was only one in the bag when Skeppy knew that he had bought two.

"What...?" Skeppy furrowed his brow, turning to look around the room, lifting his hoodie from the desk to see if the missing skittle bag had fallen underneath it, but to no avail.

"Must be rats or something..." Skeppy grimaced, the thought of rodents crawling around his room and on his things while he was asleep not an appealing one.

But with his remaining skittle package and the soda bottle in hand, Skeppy slid his phone into his back pocket, grabbed his keys from the nightstand, and exited the room.

As he walked out of the hall and onto the mezzanine, heading for the stairs, Skeppy could only marvel at how different Duskridge looked in the light of the morning. Where last night it had been filled with shadows and darkness that threatened to hold the things from nightmares, now the sun had scared the shadows away and the large windows let bright light shine throughout the room, displaying the colorful carpet and the welcoming atmosphere of the building. It certainly was a stark contrast from Skeppy's first introduction to the building.

As he jogged down the stairs, Skeppy could see marks in the dust that coated the wooden steps, probably from his entrance the previous day. Everywhere in the building had a thick layer of dust, that would certainly take a while to remove completely. As he reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed the lobby, Skeppy took a moment to take in the room as he hadn't really been able to the previous night. There was a small desk by the front door, and on the other side from it was a nice set of red armchairs and a couch, facing a small TV screen.

There were potted plants scattered throughout the room, but they had died a long time ago. Skeppy would have to see if there were any replacements he could buy in town, some life would do Duskridge a lot of favors.

What he hadn't noticed yesterday, was a sheet that was tied to the banister of the mezzanine for some reason, the fabric dangling over the lobby, gently swaying from some breeze.

After unlocking the front doors, Skeppy pushed both of them open and pushed the mechanism into place that would hold them open, so he could easily take trips to and from his truck with the stuff he brought - and letting the building air out couldn't do any harm.

With a quick click of the button on his key fob, the lights on his truck flashed and Skeppy heard the locks unlock.

Circling around to the back of his truck, Skeppy slid his key into the tonneau cover's lock, quickly unlocking it and pushing it upwards, as well as pulling the handle on his tailgate and pulling it down so he could easily pull out the boxes that were stuffed into the back of his truck.

Skeppy had left the majority of his belongings - including his computer - in a storage unit back near his own home, having decided on waiting until he was settled in and had fixed any major problems before dealing with moving in the rest of his items. So all he had now was a few personal items, some food that would last him until he could set up the fridge and go shopping in town, and enough sets of clothes to last him two weeks until needing to do laundry.

Deciding to start with the food, so he could eat breakfast after getting it into the building, Skeppy grabbed the handle of the medium-sized cooler and pulled it towards him, hauling it off the tailgate and carrying it inside.

Skeppy placed the cooler beside the doors leading to the kitchen, quickly popping the lid open and putting his drink in, and went back to his truck to get the bin of food that was packed with canned foods, an assortment of pastas, dried fruits, and vegetables, nuts and trail mixes, granola bars, and a ton of jerky. After hauling that bin up the steps and into the building, placing it beside the cooler, Skeppy took a break to have a quick breakfast. He had already eaten half of his skittles throughout his walk through the building and the two trips back and forth from his truck, and it wouldn't be good to keep on working with only like thirty skittles in his stomach.

After checking to make sure the cooler's battery was still working - which it was, as the advertising said it could last up to 10 days - Skeppy cracked the lid off of the bin of non-perishable food, and sorted through it, looking for something that caught his eye.

Deciding on a granola bar and a few slices of Jerky, Skeppy snapped the lid back onto the bin and wandered outside with his breakfast, deciding to walk about as he snacked on the food.

To the left of the parking lot, settled just before the tree line, was a small hut. Skeppy had been told that the man who had worked as the groundskeeper and custodian had his own home on the grounds, so he guessed that that was his home. As he wandered towards it on the overgrown gravel path that connected it to the parking lot, he could see a fenced pool that was set to the side of Duskridge. A pool cover was settled over it, but Skeppy could see a glimpse of water - dark green water, with floating leaves and junk on its surface - that had probably attracted mosquitoes and all sorts of fun things to it. That would have to be high up on his list of problems to work on.

The groundskeeper's house was just a simple wooden cabin, with a single door and three or four windows. It looked like it had once had had well-maintained flower beds and shrubbery around it, but the plants had long since died or been overgrown by weeds.

With an experimental pull at the chipped and dented door, Skeppy discovered that it was unlocked, and pulled it open, stepping inside as he chewed on a piece of jerky.

The house was simple, with one main room that look to have served as a kitchen and dining room, and two doors leading off to what Skeppy assumed were the bathroom and bedroom.

There wasn't much in the room he was in, but Skeppy took the chance to look around, seeing if he could find anything about who had once lived here.

It actually looked pretty abandoned, as if it had been lying empty for a longer time than six or seven months, a heavy coating of dust and cobwebs covered everything in the room, and there wasn't many personal belongings left about. There was a wooden table shoved in the corner, with two rickety-looking chairs pushed into it. There were a few dark amber beer bottles scattered across the floor, but they were covered in dust as well.

Skeppy avoided opening the fridge - the power had been shut off for months, he wasn't about to face whatever molds might have developed if food was left in there - and moved to the bedroom door, which was unlocked. Inside was a desk, with nothing on it, the chair neatly tucked in, an empty bookshelf, a note board with nothing attached to it, and a small single bed, its covers neatly made, looking like they hadn't been disturbed in months - or even years, just like the rest of the house. 

Spotting a key ring with a couple of keys and a pair of key tags hanging off of the ring that had been left on the nightstand, Skeppy moved to examine them.

One read, ' _Custodian/Groundskeeper.'_ , with a what had probably been a name after the title, but it had been scribbled over in a thick marker, so Skeppy couldn't make out what it had said. Skeppy assumed that that had been the name of the man that had lived here and worked as the groundskeeper, but it looked like maybe he had been fired or changed jobs. Flicking to the other key tag, it looked like it was the locations where the keys went to. ' _Pool Gate, Tool Shed, Dog Pens_ '.

Sliding the keys into his pocket for future use, Skeppy walked out of the bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him, doing the same with the front door as he walked back out into the sun.

Checking his watch, it was already nine-thirty, and Skeppy had been planning on driving down to town around five or six to get some dinner, so he decided it was time to get back to unpacking the rest of his belongings, and he still had to figure out turning on the power and water.

As he got back to his truck, he began pulling out boxes, that thankfully were all labeled, and setting them on the ground in groups of where they would go in the building.

All of his clothes and personal items he would take to the second floor, so he could put them in whatever bedroom he claimed as his. Boxes that contained utensils, plates, and pots and pans would go to the kitchen so he could put them away there. Boxes with tools that would go towards the fixing of Duskridge would go to the tool shed. The few boxes of electronic items, such as his camera, phone chargers, more cables than he could ever need, extension cords, flashlights, and other miscellaneous things he had thrown in while packing would go in a corner of the lobby until he could sort through them and find which ones belonged in the tool shed and which ones belonged elsewhere in Duskridge. The last group was boxes destined for the bathroom, with first aid kits, towels, shampoo and conditioners, toilet paper rolls, and other essentials.

Deciding to start with the boxes destined for the kitchen, Skeppy went into the building and opened the french doors that led to the kitchen, propping them open with a pair of doorstops that he found behind them.

He moved the cooler over to in front of the fridge and the bin of food to on top of the counter beside the pantry and went to grab the rest of the boxes of kitchen items.

It took a few trips to get all of the boxes, but eventually, everything related to the kitchen was out of his truck and in the building. He would have to move them into the cupboards and pantry eventually, but he would wait on that until he had cleaned them all out.

Speaking of cleaning, it was time to tackle the fridge.

With one hand pinching his nose and a grimace on his face, Skeppy carefully pulled the door of the fridge open.

Luckily it wasn't packed with food, but there still were some moldy things. It looked like a few packages of strawberries and blueberries that were now just white fuzz. There was a carton of milk that Skeppy wasn't going to risk opening, and the door of the fridge was stocked with condiments that would definitely have to be thrown away.

Pulling out the food that had gone bad, Skeppy went to place them outside the front door, leaving the fridge door hanging open so it could air out. He would have to put them in the bin later. He had been told that there was a dumpster in town beside the road that led up to Duskridge that he had to take his trash to, as the garbage companies didn't come all the way up to the Institute.

It took about half an hour to get the rest of the boxes to their respective rooms, but soon enough Skeppy was pulling the tonneau cover shut, the back of his truck now empty.

It was time to see about getting the power and water back on.

For the water, Skeppy was pretty sure he would just have to flush the pipes before using them, and turn on the water heater. For the power, he would just have to call the town to get it turned on.

Pulling his phone from his back pocket, Skeppy let out a sigh upon seeing the 'no signal' at the top of his screen. He would have to make that call when he went down to town later.

With his plans for getting the water and power on postponed, Skeppy decided to continue his exploration of the grounds, heading towards the pool he had seen earlier, snacking on the last of his jerky and the granola bar as he strolled along the gravel path.

The pool was a fairly large one, stretching maybe thirty-five feet, with a width of what Skeppy could guess to be ten to twelve feet. On the deep end was a diving board, and the cement pad that surrounded the pool was littered with various pool toys and floaties, along with a few lounge chairs, a couple of small side tables, and a pool skimmer. The cover floated on the surface, but it was misshapen in some spots, Skeppy assumed it had been thrown on in a hurry and was covering toys and floats that had been left in the pool.

The chain-link fence surrounding it was about Skeppy's height, and the gate leading into the pool area was at the end of the shallow side of the pool. It didn't look like Skeppy would need to use Schlatt's keyring, however, as the gate was slightly ajar already.

But the insects that he could see buzzing around the surface of the pool didn't cause him to want to get closer, so Skeppy continued past the pool and around to the back of the building.

He could see the tool shed, which was connected to the back wall of the Institute. He had already been in there, his boxes of tools and supplies stacked beside the door. But walking around it, there was another shed across from it. In the middle of them was the back door leading back into the Institute.

If Skeppy recalled correctly, the security guard lived in this shed. Trying the door, it was unfortunately locked, but Skeppy decided to try the keys he had on it, and the key for the tool shed neatly fit the hole and the lock clicked open as he turned it.

The door creaked open, revealing a shadowy room. There, like Schlatt's home, were two doors leading to a bedroom and bathroom presumably. Dark curtains were drawn across the windows, which Skeppy moved to throw open, allowing light into the dim room.

There was a small table with a single chair, a small kitchen, and a desk with scattered papers on it.

Entering the bedroom, Skeppy noticed the curtains on the window over the bed swaying, which he realized was a result of the window being broken, the glass jagged around the edges of the frame, with shattered pieces scattered across the bed and the floor.

The only other things in the room were a dresser and a bookshelf that was packed with books. The floor was covered with leaves and twigs, probably having fallen in through the broken window.

With some quick thinking, Skeppy remembered the hanging sheet he had seen earlier. It would be perfect for covering the window until he could get it fixed!

With a quick stop by the tool shed to go through a couple of boxes to find his nail gun, Skeppy made his way back into the lobby, and climbed the stairs to the second floor. The knot securing the fabric to the banister was tied very tightly, but after a while working on it, he managed to get it loosened, letting the fabric flutter down to the lobby floor.

Jogging back down the first floor, Skeppy scooped up the sheet and went out the back door, and into the security guard's house. Carefully avoiding glass as he went into the bedroom, Skeppy folded the sheet to fit the size of the window, and held up a corner to the wood frame, using his staple gun to slam a staple into it to hold it. After doing that on all the sides - plus a few extras to make sure it wouldn't be torn out by the wind -, Skeppy sat back, happy with his work. With the window blocked off, he was free to continue looking for information. Starting with the bookshelf, there looked to be a lot of books related to mythology and war, but nothing that looked like it could tell Skeppy who had lived here.

Back out in the main room, on the kitchen counter, was a glass jar filled with what looked to be dog treats. Other than that, there wasn't much food from what Skeppy could find.

On the desk, Skeppy flipped through papers, and found a faded note, dated about seven months ago... which would have been just before everyone went missing.

' _Techno, when you return from vacation please check on who we have been discussing. Alex doesn't think he's making progress, and you know how the news affected him. Please just keep an eye on him. - K._ '

"Techno..." Skeppy mused over the name of the security guard, before moving to the rest of the note. Alex, K? Were those other workers at Duskridge? Who was Techno supposed to keep an eye on? What was the news? Skeppy was collecting questions as he learned more about Duskridge, and it didn't feel like answers were in sight.

Folding the note up and tucking it into his pocket, Skeppy went back outside, making sure to shut the door behind him.

Looking at his phone, it was about one o'clock. If Skeppy wanted to get some shopping done, call about getting his utilities turned on, and get dinner around five or six, he would probably have to leave soon.

Heading inside the main building, Skeppy went to grab his wallet and hoodie from where he had left them, in the room where he had slept.

After jogging up the stairs and across the main area to the hallway, as he went to open the door, Skeppy noticed a little sign next to the doorframe that he hadn't seen the previous night.

' _Room 01 - Alex Q. - Counselor.'_

It seemed like the room he was staying in had belonged to the orphanage's counselor, who had been named Alex. Doodled on the name card, looking like as if by a child, was a little drawing of a duck. Continuing into the room, Alex's room, Skeppy grabbed his wallet, slipping it into one of his back pockets, and his hoodie from the desk,

Before leaving, Skeppy decided to take a quick look at the nameplates on the rest of the bedroom doors that lined the hall.

The room next to Alex's read ' _Room 03 - Darryl N. - Teacher_ '. On the other side of the hall, across from Alex's room, was ' _Room 02 - Noah B. - Teacher_ '. Next to Noah's room was ' _Room 04 - Niki N. - Cook.'_ and at the very end of the hall was ' _Room 05 - Kristin & Phil W. - Director & Caregiver.'_

It looked like that was all of the workers that had lived at Duskridge, eight of them. And they had apparently disappeared overnight...

Skeppy walked back up the hallway, heading for the stairs. He would have to investigate the rest of the rooms later. Perhaps he could do that tomorrow, along with the third floor and attic, and maybe the basement. But for now, he had to get to town.

After making his way down to the lobby, Skeppy locked the back door, and went out the front door, locking it as well. There probably wasn't much of a threat of people breaking in, but Skeppy would still rather not risk it.

Unlocking his truck, Skeppy hopped in and started the engine, letting it run for a minute as he plugged his phone in, fiddled with the heater, and pulled his seatbelt over himself. He rolled down his window, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze. He shifted out of park and back out of the slot where he was parked, and pulled out of the parking spot, turning onto the main road and heading down past the treeline, heading towards town.

But as he drove into the forest, Skeppy became aware of the gentle sounds of a guitar being played, some distantly-familiar song that he couldn't place. Slowing to a stop, Skeppy looked away from the road and down at his phone, wondering if he had accidentally started playing a song.

There was nothing playing, and the volume on his phone was muted.

The guitar playing continued, the haunting sounds sending a chill running down Skeppy's spine.

"Hello?" Skeppy called out his window, leaning to see if there was anyone in the near area. Although why a person would be sat in the middle of the woods playing guitar, he couldn't say. "Is anyone out there?"

Only the whistling of the wind through the trees and the rumble of his truck's engine answered him. There was no more guitar playing, only silence.

Skeppy leaned back into the truck and looked down at his radio, fiddling with the dials a bit as he looked at the screen. Maybe it was just a mistake, maybe he had accidentally tuned into a radio station without noticing... he had bought the truck secondhand, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that it could have a few problems.

Shivering, his skin cold all of a sudden, Skeppy rolled up his window, turning the heater up more.

He lifted his foot from the brake and continued down the road, but Skeppy just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't just quite right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Skeppy gets moved in and begins to explore, finding out that the groundskeeper was named (redacted), and possibly was fired, the security guard was named Techno, the counselor named Alex, the cook named Niki, the two teachers named Darryl and Noah, a caregiver named Phil, and the Director named Kristin. He then leaves to go to town, and hears a guitar being played, but can't locate where it's coming from...
> 
> Check in next time, where Skeppy learns more about the kids and workers who lived at Duskridge, and explores more! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this chapter! I'll try my best to get chapters out quickly, but no promises :)


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